About Rev. Samuel Whiting, Jr.

The Rev. Samuel Whiting, Jr., was born in England in 1633. He studied with his father at Lynn and graduated at Cambridge in 1653. He was ordained minister at Billerica November 11, 1663, and died February 28, 1713, aged seventy-nine years.

The name of his wife was Dorcas and they had ten children--Elizabeth, Samuel, Rev. John (minister at Lancaster, and killed by Indians September 11, 1697, aged thirty-three), Oliver, Dorothy, Joseph, James, Eunice, Benjamin (died in infancy), and Benjamin (2nd).

The History of Billerica, Massachussetts By Henry Allen Hazen p. 153-154 "1. Wee do agree to give Mr. Samuel Whiting. Jutf.. (our minister.) that house which is now vpon ye towncship. comfortably finished, for him, and his heirs, if he continues amongst us during his life, but if he shall remove from amongst us, then the said house with all the acomodations of the same shall returne againc to the towne, to be at their dispose; or, if Mr. Whiting shall dye with vs. then the towne shall have the refusing of the said house and all other acomodations aforesaid belonging to the same, if Mrs. Whiting do sell y* same. •• 2. We do promise to give to him y* sume of fourty pounds per year, for his maintenance, for the first two years of his selling with vs. and for the third year fifty pounds, and for the fourth year sixty pounds, and for afterwards we do promise and ingage to better his maintenance as the Lord shall better our estates. "3. We do .loyntly pmise to eary at or owne charge, from year to year, so much of the pay (as doth amount to twenty pounds) as shall be brought in to him in wheat or in other grains. or porke ; to deliver the same, either at Mis tick mill or at Charlestowne. which Mr. Whiting shall apointe, and to deliver the same at such prizes as such pay shall or doth at such times pass fro man to man, unless Mr. Whiting and the Towne shall make any other agreement concerning the same. "4. We do promise to provide his firewood & to bring it home to his house, from year to year, at our owne charges."4. We do promise to provide his firewood & to bring it home to his house, from year to year, at our owne charges. "5. We do promise to fence him in it paster for to keape his horse in, as convenient as we may. •• ult. for his acomodations. we do promise to lay to re said house, a ten-acre lot, for his house-lot. and twelve acres of meadow, with other in convenient to the same, i. e. to grant to him all other divi- tions of lands and meadows, with other lots of y* like quantity. "The persons subscribing to the premises, who were then the inhabi ts nee. were : • "Ralph Hill, Sen'. John Parker. Will™, ffrexch. James Parker. John Rogers, Sere Will™. Tat. George farlet. Will". Chamberlixe. Will". Pattin. John Trull. Sam". Cr Anne. James Paterson. John Sterkes. Joint Marshall. Joy ath . Daxforth. John Shildox. Ralph Hill, Jur. U exert Jeiffs. John Baldwin." •' Also, at a Towne Meeting of y inhabitance, r 18, 10"., 1661. "It is agreed, That whatever charges Mr. Whiting shall be at, in makeing his house and land more convenient for his comfortable susistence and livelyhood amongst vs, in erecting any more building, fenceing, oror breaking of land, or clearing of meadows, and the like; That in case the providence of god so orders it that afterwards he shall remove from us, and so (by our former agreement) leave all his acommodations to the useof the Town*, the towne do promise that what the whole premises shall be the better, at his leaving it. by reason of his costs and charges upon it. It shall at that time be returned to him by the towne. as it shall be adjudged by men indifferently chosen." It speaks well for the courage and faith of these founders of the town that, numbering only nineteen men, they were ready to put their hands to such an instrument and assume all its responsibility. It speaks well for the young Harvard graduate, of good birth and sterling ability, that he was ready to identify himself with the rising town and make his home in this wilderness, when not even the little meeting-house of logs and thatch was yet erected. Where Mr. Whiting preached for the first two years, we can only conjecture; perhaps at John Parker's, where early town meetings were held ; perhaps in his own house. A year later, the following vote appears: — "It Is agreed, by the major prt of the Towne. that"It Is agreed, by the major prt of the Towne. that Mr. Whiting shall have 50 p. for this year, for his maintenance, and caring down corne, and making a well and Howell for his catell ; which is 10 p. more than or agree ment for his yerely maintenance ; the caring his corne or other pay downe to towne and getting his firewood included, to be done at Mr. Whiting's own charges." In the accounts of the town, credit is given to John Baldwin, George Farley, and Ralph Hill, Jr., for "oxen to help fetch Mr. Whiting"; and to Ralph Hill, Sr., Samuel Kemp, John Marshall, James Patterson, and John Rogers, "for John for going for Mr. Whiting." It was no small undertaking to help the minister remove to Billerica, at that day.